Check-hook.



. PATBNTED APR. 12,1904. c. HEILRATH,& s. M. TABBR.

CHECK HooK.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2B, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

Patented April 12, 1904i` UNITED STATES `PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTIAN HEILRATH AND SAMUELy MAURICE TABER, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

CHECK-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters l'aterit/l'o. 757,304, dated April 12, 1904. `Application iled July 28, 1903. `Serial No. 167,339. (No mddel.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, CHRISTIAN HEILRATH and SAMUEL MAURICE-Timun, citizens of the United States, residing at Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento and State of California,

have invented a new and useful Check-Hook,

of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in check-hooks.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of-check-hooks and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive one of great strength and durability, capable of enabling a checkrein to be disengaged from it with ease and speed and adapted when arranged in such releasing position to permit the checkrein to be withdrawn from it by a direct upward and forward pull, whereby the forward motion of the head of an animal will carry the checkrein away from the check-hook and the said checkrein will be prevented from accidentally catching onthe bill of the hook. A further object of the invention is-to provide a device of this character which will permit the checkrein to be quickly snapped into engagement with itA when desired.

- With these and other objects in view the invention consists in` the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details ofconstruction within the scope of the claims maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a cheek-hook constructedv in accordance with this invention.. Fig. 2 is a longi-f sponding parts in all the figures of the drawings;

l 1 designates a' hook adapted to engage a checkrein 2 and formed integral with a longitudinal base 3 and extending upward and rearward from the front end of the same, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The base 3 of the hook 1 is provided with a depending shank 4, having a threaded portion and adapted to be secured by a nut 5` to a harness-saddle G, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings; but the hook may be secured tothe harness-saddle or to a pad in any other desired manner, as will be readily understood.

The hook is curved, as shown, and when it is in engagement with the checkrein the latter is positively'conned within the hook by a substantially 'L -shape'd catch 7, which is lpivoted at its angle to the rear end of the operating the same. The army 9'is slightly curved at its upper and lower portions, and its lower portion presents a concave front face and its upper portion a convexfront face. The other arm, 12, which is substantially straight, surrounds the base and loops around the hook when the parts `are .arranged as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the arm 12 being provided with a longitudinal opening 13 to receive the hook 1 and the base 3. The sides of the rear portion of the arm 12 are pierced to receive the pivot 8, which also passes through ward movement ot the checkrein.

Byv this construction-'the checkrein is thrown entirely out of the hook and is effectually prevented from catching on the end of the hook should it be drawn quickly forward and upward by the head of the animal.

The upper end of a hook is provided with a knob Aor .projecting portion 14, forming a stop for limiting the upward movement of the arm 12 of the catch, and the end of the arm 12 is provided with a notch or recess 15, which receives the bulged portion 14 of the hook, whereby the upper edges or faces of the sides of the arm 12 are adapted to move outward or rearward to a position substantially flush with the end of the hook, as clearly shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings. When it is desired to reengage the checkrein with the hook, the former is pressed downward against the arm12 and may be quickly snapped into the hook. This movement will also close the catch and conne the checkrein in the hook.

The catch is provided with a spring-actuated plunger. or engaging' device 16, which is adapted to bear against the upper face of the rear end of the base and against the rear end of the same, whereby the catch is firmly held in either o1` its positions. The plunger 16 consists of a block having a stem which receives a coiled spring 17, and the latter is housed in a socket or bore 18 of the arm 9 of the catch. The socket or bore 18 extends inward and upward from-the rear end of the opening 13 of the arm 12,'as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The rear end of the base presents an inclined face, and it has a beveled or extended portion 19, which isadapted to facilitate the operation of the spring-actuated plunge r when the catch is swung rearward.

It will be seenvthat the check-hook is eX- ceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it is easily operated to engage and release a checkrein, and that when the catch is swung rearward the checkrein will be thrown completely out of the hook and will be prevented from catching on the end of the same. It will also be clear that the arm 9 of the catch, which is slightly sigmoidally curved, fits against and extends above the upper end of the hook and is arranged in convenient position to be readily grasped in unchecking an animal.

What we claim is- 1. A device o1' the class described comprising a hook, and a substantially L-shaped catch pivotally mounted in rear of the hook and composed of an upwardly-extending arm normally fitting against the rear face of the end of the hook and extended above the same to form a handle, and an arm extending forwardly from the lower end of the said arm and arranged to carry a checkrein out of the hook, substantially as described.

2. A device of the class described comprising a hook, and a substantially L-shaped catch mounted in rear of the hook and comprising an upwardly-extending arm normally itting against the rear face of the end of the hoek to close the same and extended above the hook to form a handle, and an approximately hori- Zontal arm extending from the lower end of the said arm and arranged to be swung to an upright position with its upper or rear face substantially flush with the end of the hook, whereby the checkrein will be thrown out of the hook and prevented from catching on the end of the same, substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described comprising a hook, a substantially L-shaped catch composed of an upwardly-extending arm normally fitting against the rear face of the end o1' the hook and extended above the same to form a handle or grip, and a Jforwardly-extending arm arranged to swingnpward to a position substantially iiush with the end of the hook, and means for limiting the upward movement of the forwardly-extending arm, substantially as l described.

4. A device of the class described comprising a hook provided at its upper end with a stop, anda substantially L-shaped catch comprising an upwardly-extending arm normally fitting against the end of the hook, and a forwardly-extending arm arranged to swing upward to carry a checkrein out of the hook and having its upward movement limited by the stop, whereby its upward or rear face is held substantially flush with the end of the hook to f substantially as described.

5. A device of the class described comprising a hook, and a substantially L-shaped catch having an upwardly-extending arm normally itting against the rear face of the end o1' the hook, said catch being also provided with a forwardly-extending arm having an opening receiving the hook, the latter being completely encircled by the forwardly-extending arm, substantially as described.

prevent the checkrein from catching thereon,

6. A device of the class described comprisshaped catch composed of an upwardly-exv tending arm normally tting against the end of the hook, and a forwardly-extending arm having an opening to receive the hook and provided with a notch adapted to receive the said projection when the forwardly-extending arm is swung upward, substantially as described.

8. A device of the class described compris- IOO IIO

ing a hook provided at its top with a projection, a base extending rearward from the hook, and a substantially L-shaped catch composed of an upwardly-extending arm, and a forwardly-extending arm having a longitudinal opening to receive the hook and the base and provided at its front end with a notch arranged to receive the projection of the hook when the forwardly-extending arm is swung upward, substantially as described.

9. A device of the class described comprising a hook provided at its v,top with a projection, a base extending rearward from the hook, and a substantially L-shaped catch composed of an upwardly-extending arm fitted against the end of the hook and extended above the same to form a handle, and a forwardly-extending arm havinga longitudinal opening receiving the base and surrounding the hook, said forwardly-extending arm being engage the upper face or the rear end of `the 30 base, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto aiiixed our signatures 1n the presence of two witnesses.

CHRISTIAN HEILRATH. SAMUEL MAURICE TABER.

Witnesses:

W. H. THOMSON, C. G. KEEHNEIL 

